SEATTLE— The Port of Seattle and Just Health Action have been selected as one of just three communities in the country to receive a new grant by the Environmental Protection Agency focused on improving the health of communities near a port.
The Near-port Community Capacity Building/Stakeholder Engagement Project will focus on improving environmental health outcomes for Seattle’s South Park and Georgetown communities. Port-Community collaborative activities will focus on building engagement, advocacy and collaboration skills in communities and improving partnerships with the Port to address community needs.
“We are thrilled to be selected for this environment justice project – working with neighboring communities to address environmental impacts along the Duwamish River is very important to the Port and a positive step towards environmental and social equity.” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Creighton. In June, Port and EPA leadership attended a “listening” session and walking tour of the Duwamish Valley to learn about environmental challenges faced by the community.
“As a resident of Georgetown, it is important that we work with the Port to address the significant inequities in the Duwamish Valley, relative to the rest of Seattle,” said Andrew Schiffer, a community partner at Just Health Action. “We hope the pilot project will allow us to work together to reduce the environmental impact on all near-port communities.”
“The EPA continues to be encouraged by the Port’s leadership, along with other Northwest Seaports, in focusing significant time and resources to reducing the environmental impact of its operations,” said Tim Hamlin, Air Quality Director in EPA’s Northwest office. “An important component of this work is the Port’s commitment to developing constructive relationships with communities disproportionately affected by its operations, and we’re hopeful these investments will result in meaningful reductions in health risks for the people who live there.”
About the pilot project:
The pilot will test and refine the EPA Ports Initiative’s new capacity building and stakeholder engagement toolkits: the Ports Primer for Communities, the Community Action Roadmap, and the Environmental Justice Primer for Ports. The EPA has committed one year of a technical assistance grant to facilitate the pilot project between the Port of Seattle and environmental justice communities in the Duwamish Valley.
Through the pilot, the Port of Seattle and its non-profit partner will work together over the next year to:
- enhance community skills for effectively engaging in local decision-making
- improve the Port’s environmental performance and engagement best practices in environmental justice communities
- develop collaborative policies and practices to build near-port community partnerships
About the Port of Seattle
Founded in 1911, The Port owns and operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, two cruise ship terminals, Fishermen’s Terminal—home of the North Pacific fishing fleet, one grain terminal, a public cargo terminal, four public marinas, and manages a number of real estate assets for financial return and economic advantage. The port’s operations currently help create nearly 200,000 jobs and $7 billion in wages throughout the region. Over the next 20 years, the port’s “Century Agenda” seeks to create an additional 100,000 jobs through economic growth while becoming the nation’s leading green and energy-efficient port. Learn more at www.portseattle.org.
